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Promotion
HALT. Langzeitprojekte in der Porträtfotografie / Symposium
HALT. Long-term Projects in Portrait Photography Symposium 31 January, 2014
to examine the general criteria that are rel-
regardless of the photographer’s intentions the
evant to all portrait photography, but which
person being portrayed actually grows older.
gain a different meaning over time and in rep-
Photographer Walter Schels presented his por-
etition. In “A face alone does not make a por-
trait series “Stages of Life”, which address birth
Klaus Honnef, Bonn
trait. Portrait photography in light of its check-
and death, beginning and end. The actual work
A face alone does not make a portrait. Portrait
ered history”, Klaus Honnef examined how the
consists of the collection of images rather than
photography in light of its checkered history.
practice has evolved. After this, Ulrike Schnei-
the individual photo, raising the question of the
Walter Schels, Hamburg
der explored portrait series in her lecture “Se-
importance of arrangement. This aspect be-
Stages of Life
rial Strategies in Portrait Photography from Au-
came clear in observing the “Mémoires” of Seii-
Ulrike Schneider, Hannover
gust Sander to Rineke Dijkstra”. She showed
chi Furuya. Drawing on images from his archive
Serial Strategies in Portrait Photography from
how specific criteria emerge over a longer pe-
created between 1978 and 1985, from 1989
August Sander to Rineke Dijkstra
riod and when working in series, namely the
onwards the artist presented the portraits of
Seiichi Furuya, Graz
setting of a start and an end point – making up
Christine Furuya-Gössler in different illustrated
Mémoires
between them the duration. Moreover, in deter-
books in ever different contexts. A special fea-
Judith Blume, Frankfurt/Main
mining the intervals between the images it is
ture of long-term projects in portrait photog-
“Book Creations from Border Areas or:
possible to distinguish between periodic series,
raphy is then that illustrated books provide a
What is an Album?”
created using regular intervals, and those series
framework for them: What’s more, compared
Conception: Tania Ost
developed by chance and growing out of a given
with the many years inherent in such a project,
situation - although some projects represent hy-
leafing through the pages only takes an instant.
The symposium “HALT. Long-term Projects in
brids. Still others may consist of just two juxta-
But the double pages offer the intimacy appro-
Portrait Photography” was organized around
posed photographs. Some projects come about
priate to the subject fitting, as the sequence of
three theoretical lectures – on the portrait, on
retrospectively, in other words, when the art-
images corresponds with the chronological de-
portrait series and on the album, possibly form-
ist goes through an archive, or, following the
velopment – the ageing of the person depicted.
ing a framework for such series – and alongside
principle of repetition a second image is cre-
Leading on from this, a closer look was taken at
these, two very different positions from photo-
ated that is connected to an older image, while
the album with Judith Blume in her contribution
graphic practice. These subsequently provided
other projects involve advance planning with a
“‘Book Creations from Border Areas’ or: What is
the basis for fascinating discussions.
concept that is determined from the outset. In
an Album?”.
The lectures and talks explored various per-
this, long-term projects in portrait photography
spectives regarding collections of portrait pho-
can be said to cancel out the contradiction be-
tography set up over time: The first task was
tween authenticity and orchestration: After all,
Tania Ost
Fotos: Sebastian Mühl
Prof. Dr. Hans Zitko Tania Ost Promotionsbereich